Typically, Federal Alien Smuggling, 8 U.S. Code § 1324 - Bringing in and harboring certain aliens, consists of three parties, the smuggler, usually a foreign national, the person (s) to be smuggled, and a "sponsor", who pays the smuggler. The "sponsor' is frequently a family member already in the U.S., possibly here illegally, who transfers money to the smuggler to have their relative brought in. All three are complicit in committing federal felony, Conspiracy to Commit Alien Smuggling, 18 USC Code 371. Usually the smuggled person (s) are not charged, but used as "material witnesses" in the case. Likewise, the family "sponsors", who initiated the smuggling, are not charged. For Fiscal Year 2021, ending September 30, Border Patrol encountered almost 145,000 Unaccompanied Minors. Most were allowed entry. About 26,000 have been encountered since then. It is likely that a family member here or in the child's country of origin, paid a smuggler to transport them, endangering their lives. A deterrent to undocumented immigration would be to prosecute "sponsors."
People are also reading…
Ryan Bodsworth
East side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
